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US8325347B2 - Integrated optical sensor - Google Patents

Integrated optical sensor Download PDF

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US8325347B2
US8325347B2 US12/530,863 US53086308A US8325347B2 US 8325347 B2 US8325347 B2 US 8325347B2 US 53086308 A US53086308 A US 53086308A US 8325347 B2 US8325347 B2 US 8325347B2
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sensing
wave
incoupling
integrated
optical sensor
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US20100103429A1 (en
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Kaspar Cottier
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Creoptix AG
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Creoptix AG
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
    • G01N21/17—Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated
    • G01N21/41—Refractivity; Phase-affecting properties, e.g. optical path length
    • G01N21/45—Refractivity; Phase-affecting properties, e.g. optical path length using interferometric methods; using Schlieren methods
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
    • G01N21/75—Systems in which material is subjected to a chemical reaction, the progress or the result of the reaction being investigated
    • G01N21/77—Systems in which material is subjected to a chemical reaction, the progress or the result of the reaction being investigated by observing the effect on a chemical indicator
    • G01N21/7703—Systems in which material is subjected to a chemical reaction, the progress or the result of the reaction being investigated by observing the effect on a chemical indicator using reagent-clad optical fibres or optical waveguides
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
    • G01N21/17—Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated
    • G01N21/41—Refractivity; Phase-affecting properties, e.g. optical path length
    • G01N21/45—Refractivity; Phase-affecting properties, e.g. optical path length using interferometric methods; using Schlieren methods
    • G01N2021/458—Refractivity; Phase-affecting properties, e.g. optical path length using interferometric methods; using Schlieren methods using interferential sensor, e.g. sensor fibre, possibly on optical waveguide
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
    • G01N21/75—Systems in which material is subjected to a chemical reaction, the progress or the result of the reaction being investigated
    • G01N21/77—Systems in which material is subjected to a chemical reaction, the progress or the result of the reaction being investigated by observing the effect on a chemical indicator
    • G01N2021/7769—Measurement method of reaction-produced change in sensor
    • G01N2021/7776—Index

Definitions

  • the invention is related to the field of label-free optical sensors with high sensitivity, large measuring range, high readout speed and high robustness with respect to manufacturing tolerances, particularly consisting of integrated-optical waveguides and a readout device, and their application to (bio-) chemical sensor units, as they find use, for example, in pharmacology or in diagnostics.
  • the requirements for a detection method without marker are: high sensitivity, so that also tiny amounts of substances, the smallest interactions, or the smallest molecules can be observed; a high readout speed, so that a fast (bio-) chemical binding or reaction can be traced with the necessary resolution; the possibility of a massively parallel readout of many measurement areas or subunits of a sensor platform, the latter mainly in the format of micro titer plates which are used in the pharmaceutical industry for high throughput screening (HTS), permitting a parallel readout of up to several hundred or even thousand processes; low cost per measurement point; and a large measurement range, so that different processes with different signal strengths can be observed at the same time.
  • HTS high throughput screening
  • WO 93/04357 describes a measurement system based on the so-called Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) where electromagnetic waves are excited at the surface of metal films by prisms or gratings. This is the most widespread measurement method for label-free sensing of (bio-) chemical processes.
  • SPR sensors especially of those based on prism couplers—is the difficulty to offer sensor platforms in a micro titer plate format.
  • the measuring method is inherently sensitive to manufacturing tolerances since it is based on a resonance depending on the (angular) position of the sensor platform, therefore small tolerances must be used and complex calibrations must be carried out, which increases the costs as well as the required measuring time.
  • Another disadvantage consists in the fact that the primary sensitivity of the sensor (the dependence of the measured physical value like angle or wavelength on the parameter to be measured such as adsorption of the molecules) mainly depends on the material of the waveguide and can hardly be influenced by design measures.
  • EP 1031828 describes a sensor, in which an array of gratings allows the in- and outcoupling of light in a waveguide.
  • the measurement method is suitable for massive-parallel readout.
  • the measuring method is based on an optical resonance, and has the disadvantage of the sensitivity to manufacturing tolerances.
  • the measurement range is limited by the scanning range of the measured variables such as angle or wavelength, and fast readout speeds could only be shown within a limited measuring range.
  • WO06/071992 describes a measuring unit which is based on a waveguide-grating.
  • the measuring method is suitable for massive-parallel readout.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 6,335,793 describes a sensor based on an integrated-optical interferometer. Although the described measurement method shows a large measurement range, it can not or only hardly be integrated into a platform having several measuring points, because the readout of the interferometric signal occurs in a plane situated perpendicular to the waveguide. Furthermore, the manufacture of the sensor platforms as well as the instrument is very cost-intensive, and the extraction of a useful signal from the interference patterns is complex.
  • the integrated-optical sensor includes an optical waveguide ( 2 ) with at least two incoupling regions ( 3 , 5 ) for exciting guided waves, so-called modes.
  • the coupling regions ( 3 , 5 ) can be formed, for example, as grating couplers, or as prism couplers. Between the coupling regions ( 3 , 5 ) the actual sensing area ( 4 ) is located, which is in contact with an analyte ( 8 ), and which comprises, in a preferred embodiment, an additional (bio-) chemical layer ( 7 ) for binding the molecules to be measured.
  • the analyte ( 8 ) is in general a liquid or a gas in which these molecules are to be detected or in which the substances to be characterized are diluted.
  • a sensing wave ( 14 ) is stimulated in the waveguide ( 2 ) by an external sensing beam ( 12 ) through the first incoupling region ( 3 ), and which passes through the sensing area ( 4 ), is therefore experiencing a relative phase shift compared to the original state without the presence of the molecules to be measured. Now this phase shift is converted by a reference wave ( 15 ) into an intensity modulation, which can be measured by a suitable light detector ( 22 ).
  • the reference wave ( 15 ) is excited in the second incoupling region ( 5 ), which is also passed through by the sensing wave ( 14 ).
  • An interference of both waves after the second incoupling region ( 5 ) is not possible on its own, since by reciprocity of the coupling process, an incoupling region with which a waveguide mode is excited with good efficiency necessarily also couples out the biggest part of a waveguide mode incident in the incoupling region.
  • the second incoupling region ( 5 ) is designed in a way that at least five percent, preferably a tenth or a fifth or one third, of the amplitude of the sensing wave ( 14 ) is preserved while traversing the second incoupling region ( 5 ) in order to achieve a measurable interference signal.
  • the second incoupling region ( 5 ) would be formed as a periodic grating coupler.
  • a 0 is the mode amplitude in front of the coupler
  • ⁇ the leakage factor
  • z the distance covered within the grating.
  • the leakage factor can be tuned in a known manner, for example, by the form of the grating lines, the difference in refractive index at the grating lines, or the grating depth.
  • the product of grating length L g and leakage factor ⁇ is limited by: L g ⁇ ln(0.05) ⁇ 3 (2)
  • the formula is also valid for the case of a prism coupler, where the leakage factor can be adjusted by the distance to the waveguide ( 2 ).
  • the grating leakage factor may therefore not exceed 15 mm ⁇ 1 .
  • this corresponds to an especially “inefficient” coupler geometry.
  • a r and ⁇ r are the amplitude and phase of the reference wave ( 15 )
  • a m und ⁇ m are the amplitude and phase of the sensing wave ( 14 ), respectively, each behind the second incoupling region ( 5 ).
  • the phase ⁇ m of the sensing wave ( 14 ) experiences the mentioned phase shift within the sensing area ( 4 ), so that the interference signal I varies sinusoidally according to the phase shift.
  • the arrangement according to the invention means that in comparison to existing sensors based on waveguides and grating or prism couplers, the sensing area ( 4 ) is thus separated from the incoupling region.
  • the sensing method is not based on the readout of a wave guide coupler resonance, but on interferometry.
  • This has the advantage that the sensing area is not limited by the scanning range of a parameter such as angle or wavelength, but rather by the coherence length of the light source ( 21 ).
  • the sensor is also more robust with respect to manufacturing tolerances, as the modes can be excited in the waveguide ( 2 ) within a large angular range. This can be achieved in another preferred embodiment with short grating having a length of less than 400 ⁇ m and using focused light beams.
  • Another advantage lies in the fact that the sensor is not susceptible to inhomogeneities within the sensing area ( 4 ).
  • the arrangement in the invention can be realized in a much more cost effective way, because the sensor platform consists only of one single planar waveguide ( 2 ) and several coupling regions.
  • the senor is suitable for the parallel readout of several signals, which up to now was only partly possible using interferometric sensors.
  • the sensor has at least 3 or at least 7 sensing areas between the first and second incoupling regions ( 3 , 5 ), which can be provided independently of each other with different adlayers ( 7 ), thus allowing the simultaneous detection of different substances.
  • the first and second incoupling regions ( 3 , 5 ) can have separate coupling pads per sensing area, in such a way that waves associated with the respective sensing areas are separated from each other in the waveguide ( 2 ) plane and in the direction perpendicular to mode propagation.
  • the senor comprises one single coupling pad per incoupling region ( 3 , 5 ), so that thereby, in principle, one single wave is excited, which undergoes a phase shift depending on the respective sensing area, and thus also depending on the position in the plane of the waveguide ( 2 ) and perpendicular to mode propagation.
  • the sensor comprises one single detector measuring several interference signals, for example, using a line detector or a camera where several pixels are combined using an average value.
  • the sensor comprises one single detector per measurement channel corresponding to one single interference signal of a sensing area.
  • an outcoupling region ( 6 ) deflects the interference signal away from the waveguide ( 2 ) towards a detector or several detectors, such that several sensors can be placed one after the other on the same waveguide ( 2 ).
  • the sensor becomes also suitable for a massive-parallel readout, and can be integrated, for example, into micro titer plates.
  • the outcoupling region ( 6 ) can again comprise several outcoupling pads, each associated to a sensing area, or one single outcoupling pad which couples out all signals.
  • a reference sensing area is associated to one or several sensing areas. This enables even the distinction of small signals from background variations caused by, for example, temperature or index of refraction variations in the analyte ( 8 ). Hence, to distinguish the useful signal from the background variations, all phases of the interference signals associated to the sensing areas (measuring channel) and the reference-sensing areas (reference channel) are determined. Then, the phases of the measuring channels are subtracted from the phases of the nearest reference channels, and the resulting differences are in general stored and displayed as a measurement value or measuring point.
  • ⁇ is the vacuum wavelength
  • ⁇ N is the induced change in effective refractive index
  • L m is the length of the sensing area ( 4 ).
  • Another advantage compared to existing sensors based on grating couplers is that the sensitivity of the sensor can be adjusted by the length of the sensing area ( 4 ).
  • the length of the sensing area ( 4 ) is at least 1000 times the vacuum wavelength of the sensing wave ( 14 ) in order to achieve a high sensitivity.
  • an increase of the antibody layer of 1 pg/mm 2 induces a phase shift of slightly more than 1° based on above statements.
  • the senor in order to measure such small changes of the interference signal phase shifts, the sensor comprises a phase modulator ( 24 ) with which the phase of either the sensing beam ( 12 ) or the reference beam ( 13 ) is scanned before impinging on the associated incoupling region ( 3 , 5 ).
  • the associated wave in the waveguide ( 2 ) is also modulated in phase. Therefore the interference signal can be scanned over the whole phase range of the cosine-terms from equation ( 3 ), which allows in a known manner the exact determination of the phase shifts caused by the sensing area ( 4 ).
  • the phase modulator ( 24 ) is formed as a liquid crystal element.
  • the advantage of an external phase modulator ( 24 ) compared to integrated waveguide modulators becomes obvious, since modulators on the basis of a liquid crystal element can be cost-effectively mass produced.
  • a phase delay is introduced for the useful polarization pu of the reference or sensing beam ( 13 , 12 ), which is coupled into the waveguide ( 2 ) through the associated incoupler.
  • the liquid crystal element is in general formed in a way so that the extraordinary axis of the liquid crystal, which can be adjusted by a voltage, lies in the same plane as the useful polarization pu.
  • the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal element has no twist or a twist of no more than 20°, and at least one substrate ( 31 ) or ( 32 ) of the liquid crystal element is equipped with a rubbing direction (r 1 , r 2 ), or planar orientation of the surface liquid crystal molecules, which lies in the same plane as the useful polarization pu.
  • the extraordinary axis of the liquid crystal which can be adjusted by a voltage, lies in the same plane as the useful polarization pu.
  • the liquid crystal element has split electrodes to form two separately controllable regions.
  • the advantage of this is that a further degree of freedom is provided for controlling the phase, so that, for example, the phase of the sensing beam ( 12 ) and the phase of the reference beam ( 13 ) can be modulated alternatively.
  • Another advantage consists in the fact that the reference beam ( 13 ) and the sensing beam ( 12 ) can be placed much closer together, since the edge region of the liquid crystal element does not lie between them.
  • the phase shift induced by the sensing fields is determined using a quadrature measurement.
  • two interference signals which are phase-shifted by 90° are recorded per sensing field, so that the absolute phase shift induced by the sensing field can be determined in known manner.
  • two coupling pads are associated to every sensing field in the first or second incoupling region ( 5 ), distinguished by a different substrate thickness, so that the mentioned phase shift of around 90° occurs.
  • the adlayer ( 7 ) is shorter than the sensing area ( 4 ) by at least one third.
  • a specific reduction of the sensitivity is achieved. This is an advantage, for example, when different substances of much different concentrations are measured, or if different sensitivities should be used for verifying measured data. While this is not possible as such for existing methods based on grating couplers or prism couplers, it is achieved for a sensor according to the invention by a simple reduction of the adlayer ( 7 ) length.
  • first and the second incoupling regions ( 3 , 5 ) are not in contact with the analyte ( 8 ).
  • the advantage of this is that the excitation of the waves in the waveguide ( 2 ) is not influenced by the index of refraction of the analyte ( 8 ).
  • the senor comprises a cover ( 40 ) containing the grating structures. Brought into sufficiently close contact with the waveguide ( 2 ), the grating structures can be used for exciting waves in the waveguide ( 2 ).
  • This has the advantage of a separation of the manufacture of the waveguide ( 2 ) and the grating, and therefore, for example, the waveguide ( 2 ) can be produced on a high quality glass substrate ( 1 ), while the grating can be manufactured by a mass production method in a plastic cover ( 40 ), such as for example using molding, casting, or hot embossing.
  • Preferred illumination optics ( 23 ) for the sensor do not make use of beam splitters, but use different angular regions of the emission of a laser diode to generate sensing beam ( 12 ), reference beam ( 13 ), and optionally a phase reference beam ( 17 ). This is known from other interferometric measurement units, as for example Rayleigh interferometers.
  • an optical element ( 56 ) is introduced, which deflects one of either the sensing beam or reference beam ( 12 , 13 ) by a certain angle ⁇ of greater than 1° and smaller than 45° compared to the other beam. After that, both beams are focused by a cylindrical lens onto the corresponding coupling pads.
  • sensing beam and reference beam ( 12 , 13 ) are incident on the sensor at a distance p, and show a similar angle spectrum.
  • FIG. 1-4 Cross sections of sensors and corresponding light paths
  • FIG. 5-7 Layer successions of liquid crystal cell phase modulators
  • FIG. 8-9 Perspective view of sensors
  • FIG. 13 Signal trajectory of a phase modulator control, and corresponding phases and interferogram trajectory
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a cross section of a sensor and corresponding light paths.
  • the sensor comprises a light source ( 21 ), which irradiates illumination optics ( 23 ).
  • the light source ( 21 ) is preferably a diode laser with a wavelength from 400 nm to 800 nm, but preferably with a wavelength of 635 or 650 nm.
  • the illumination optics ( 23 ) divide the beam into two parts, namely a sensing beam ( 12 ) and a reference beam ( 13 ) which are incident on incoupling regions ( 3 , 5 ) of the waveguide ( 2 ) preferably through a substrate ( 1 ).
  • the sensing beam ( 12 ) excites a sensing wave ( 14 ) in a waveguide ( 2 ) through a first incoupling region ( 3 ), the former subsequently traversing a sensing area ( 4 ).
  • the sensing area ( 4 ) is provided with an additional layer ( 7 ) which can bind a (bio-) chemical substance from the analyte ( 8 ).
  • the analyte ( 8 ) can be either a liquid or a gas.
  • a reference wave ( 15 ) is excited in the waveguide ( 2 ) by the reference beam ( 13 ).
  • the sensing wave ( 14 ) passes through the second incoupling region ( 5 ) and is thereby attenuated.
  • the sensing wave ( 14 ) is attenuated by the second incoupling region ( 5 ) at most to five percent of its amplitude in front of the second incoupling region ( 5 ), and preferably at most to a tenth or to one fifth or to one third.
  • a suitable detector ( 22 ) preferably by a photodiode, a CMOS camera or a line detector.
  • the light source ( 21 ) and the detector ( 22 ) are preferably controlled, or read out, by the same control unit ( 20 ).
  • FIG. 2 illustrates another cross section through a sensor and corresponding light paths.
  • an outcoupling region ( 6 ) is provided by which the interference signal is coupled out and impinges on the detector ( 22 ) as signal beam ( 16 ).
  • the outcoupling region ( 6 ) comprises grating couplers, which have a different grating period than the incoupling gratings.
  • FIG. 3 illustrates another cross section through a sensor and corresponding light paths.
  • a phase modulator is provided in the path of the reference beam ( 13 ), such as the phase of the reference beam ( 13 ) ( 13 ′) can be modulated after emerging from the phase modulator according to the setting of a control unit ( 20 ).
  • the useful polarization direction pu is phase-modulated.
  • the direction of the useful polarization pu depends on the polarization of the waves to be excited in the waveguide ( 2 ).
  • the illustrated preferred polarization direction perpendicular to the propagation of the light beam and in the plane of the page is suitable to stimulate TM waves in the waveguide ( 2 ).
  • the useful polarization direction pu lies perpendicular to the propagation of the light beam and perpendicular to the plane of the page.
  • the sensing beam ( 12 ) can be also phase-modulated in, so that the phase of the sensing beam ( 12 ′) can be modulated after emerging from the phase modulator according to the setting of a control unit ( 20 ).
  • an interference signal based on the setting of the control unit is created, which is recorded by the detector ( 22 ), and is evaluated by the control unit ( 20 ).
  • FIG. 4 illustrates another cross section of a sensor and corresponding light paths.
  • two polarizers ( 33 , 34 ) are attached, which are passed through by a phase reference beam ( 17 ).
  • the phase reference beam ( 17 ) can be modulated in intensity through the suitable orientation of the polarizers ( 33 , 34 ), displayed in FIG. 7 . Afterwards, this intensity modulation is recorded by a phase reference detector ( 25 ), and is evaluated by the control unit ( 20 ).
  • FIG. 5 illustrates a layer succession of a liquid crystal cell phase modulator ( 24 ).
  • the liquid crystal cell consists of a first and second substrate with electrodes ( 31 , 32 ), and a nematic liquid crystal layer sandwiched in between ( 30 ).
  • the molecules in the boundary regions of the substrates ( 31 , 32 ) are oriented in a known manner, preferably by a rubbed polyimide layer, in a direction anti-parallel to the directions r 1 and r 2 , so that the extraordinary axis of the liquid crystal molecules lies in the plane of the direction of the useful polarization pu.
  • the liquid crystal between the substrates ( 31 , 32 ) has no, or only a small, twist.
  • the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules can be modified in a known manner by applying a voltage through the voltage source ( 35 ) and set by the control module, so that the phase of the light beam is modulated accordingly in the useful polarization direction pu.
  • the cell has a gap of 4 ⁇ m filled with a liquid crystal having a birefringence of ⁇ n ⁇ 0.23 (as for example liquid crystals with product name Merck E7).
  • FIG. 6 illustrates another layer succession of a liquid crystal cell phase modulator ( 24 ).
  • the first substrate ( 31 ) includes a planar orientation layer in the direction r 1 of the useful polarization pu, while the second one ( 32 ) includes a homeotropic orientation layer.
  • the resulting so-called Hybrid Aligned Nematic (HAN) cell has the advantage of shorter molecule reorienting times, called switching times.
  • the first substrate layer ( 31 ) comprises a homeotropic orientation layer
  • the second substrate layer ( 32 ) comprises a planar orientation layer in the direction of the useful polarization pu.
  • the cell has a gap of 6 ⁇ m filled with a liquid crystal having a birefringence of ⁇ n ⁇ 0.23 (as for example liquid crystals with product name Merck E7).
  • FIG. 7 illustrates another layer succession of a liquid crystal cell phase modulator ( 24 ).
  • both electrodes on the substrates are divided into two partial electrodes ( 31 , 31 ′) and ( 32 , 32 ′), so that two different areas are created within the liquid crystal cell, which can be independently controlled by two voltage sources ( 35 ′, 35 ′′) depending on the setting of a control unit (not illustrated).
  • the area illuminated by the reference beam ( 13 ) is illustrated in the activated state (that is, a voltage is applied), while the area illuminated by the sensing beam ( 12 ) is illustrated in the inactivated state (that is, no voltage is applied).
  • the liquid crystal element is a so-called Pi cell and both substrates ( 31 .
  • the cell has the advantage of even faster switching times than the HAN cell.
  • the cell has a gap of 6 ⁇ m filled with a liquid crystal having a birefringence of ⁇ n ⁇ 0.23 (as for example liquid crystals with product name Merck E7).
  • only one partial area defined by the electrode separation is controlled, while the electrodes of the second partial area are short-circuited.
  • only one of both electrodes ( 31 , 32 ) is divided, while the other spans both partial areas.
  • polarizers ( 33 , 34 ) are additionally attached to both substrates ( 31 , 32 ), which in known manner convert the phase modulation of a phase reference beam ( 17 ) into an intensity-modulated beam ( 17 ′).
  • the polarizers ( 33 , 34 ) are attached to form an angle preferably at least close to 45° with respect to the rubbing directions r 1 , r 2 .
  • FIG. 8 illustrates the perspective view of a sensor comprising five sensing channels.
  • the sensor comprises three different adlayers ( 7 b , 7 c , 7 d ) within the sensing area ( 4 ), which can bind different substances from the analyte ( 8 ) (not displayed, in contact with the adlayers).
  • the sensor comprises two reference sensing fields ( 7 ′ a , 7 ′ e ) without additional layers, delivering a background signal.
  • the sensor preferably comprises optional imaging optics ( 26 ) with which the interference signals at the waveguide face (not displayed) are focused onto the detector ( 22 ).
  • the imaging optics ( 26 ) consist preferably of a positive cylinder lens, and the detector ( 22 ) consists preferably of a line camera.
  • a discrete detector preferably a photodiode, is associated to every sensing channel.
  • FIG. 9 illustrates the perspective view of a sensor comprising 16 sensing channels.
  • the sensor comprises two first incoupling regions ( 3 ′, 3 ′′), two sensing areas ( 4 ′, 4 ′′), two second incoupling regions ( 5 ′, 5 ′′) and two outcoupling regions ( 6 ′, 6 ′′).
  • the incoupling regions ( 3 ′, 3 ′′, 5 ′, 5 ′′) and outcoupling regions ( 6 ′, 6 ′′) comprise one single continuous coupling pad.
  • FIG. 10 illustrates the cross section and top view of a sensor, where the coupling regions are formed as gratings in a cover ( 40 ′, 40 ′′) being in contact with the waveguide ( 2 ).
  • the coupling gratings are not in contact with the analyte ( 8 ), and can be manufactured at a reasonable price.
  • the separating wall is placed askew, with respect to the grating lines, by between 5° and 45°, according to the invention.
  • the cover ( 40 ′, 40 ′′) consists of a replicated part made of PMMA, and the grating formed out in it is placed closer than 50 nm to the waveguide ( 2 ).
  • FIG. 11 illustrates the top view of a sensor, wherein the coupling regions are formed as a grating in a cover ( 40 ′, 40 ′′) being in contact with the waveguide ( 2 ).
  • the grating is placed askew, with respect to the grating lines, by between 5° and 45°, according to the invention, to avoid the influence of parasitic reflections (not displayed).
  • FIG. 12 illustrates the top view of a sensor, wherein the first and second incoupling gratings are illuminated under an oblique angle ⁇ of over 5°, so that the sensing waves ( 14 ) and reference waves ( 14 ) propagate in a direction not perpendicular to the grating lines and the border of the described plastic cover ( 40 ′, 40 ′′) to avoid the influence of parasitic reflections (not displayed).
  • FIG. 13 illustrates a signal trajectory of a phase modulator control, and corresponding phases and interferogram trajectory.
  • the upper graph shows a periodic square signal with amplitude U 1 , period ⁇ 2 and duration ⁇ 1 which is used to control the modulator, especially to control a liquid crystal cell.
  • the middle graph shows the trajectory of the phase depending on the voltage regulation.
  • the inertia of the molecules causes a delay for the modulator to reach the maximum phase modulation with respect to the voltage regulation, typically some hundred microseconds or some milliseconds. When switching off the voltage, this phenomenon is even more marked; that is, the molecules return to their original position only after a longer time of typically some milliseconds.
  • the lower graph shows the trajectory of an intensity modulation, for example the interference signal between the sensing wave ( 14 ) and the reference wave ( 15 ), or the phase reference signal modulated in intensity.
  • An intensity modulation for example the interference signal between the sensing wave ( 14 ) and the reference wave ( 15 ), or the phase reference signal modulated in intensity.
  • Two measuring regions R 1 and R 2 can be identified, in which the corresponding interference signal can be recorded.

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CH408/07 2007-03-13
CH0408/07 2007-03-13
CH4082007 2007-03-13
PCT/CH2008/000098 WO2008110026A1 (fr) 2007-03-13 2008-03-10 Capteur optique intégré

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Cited By (5)

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US20120293797A1 (en) * 2009-12-17 2012-11-22 Universiteit Gent Methods and systems for optical characterisation
US20160266029A1 (en) * 2014-07-01 2016-09-15 Octrolix Bv Flow cytometry system and method
US20160341895A1 (en) * 2014-01-29 2016-11-24 Universiteit Gent System for Coupling Radiation into a Waveguide
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